HERSHEY, Pa. — The Class of 2016 in the physician assistant program at Penn State College of Medicine achieved a 100 percent national board pass rate as first-time test takers of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam. This exam is taken by graduating physician assistant students in order to practice nationally.
The 30 students in the inaugural graduating class, selected from an applicant pool of 1,921, exceeded the national average in all content areas and tasks within the certification exam. The class scored at least 10 percent or higher than the national average in endocrinology, gastrointestinal/nutritional, hematology, infectious disease, applying scientific concepts and health maintenance. The program’s curriculum emphasizes critical thinking skills that are tested through the application of scientific concepts. Students in the class achieved a combined average score of 88 percent on the exam, 13 percent above the national average.
“For our inaugural graduating class, their excellent performance on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam provides evidence that our new program is already achieving our goals of preparing graduates for clinical practice,” said Christine Bruce, founding program director. “This inaugural class graduated every student on time, which reflects the dedication of both the students and the faculty that support them.”
Learn more about the program here.